MEMPHIS, Tenn. — Congressman Steve Cohen (TN-09), the Chairman of the House Judiciary Subcommittee on the Constitution, Civil Rights and Civil Liberties, this evening wrote to Attorney General William Barr asking that Memphis federal law enforcement officials be included in the Justice Department’s body-worn camera pilot program. The request comes days after U.S. Marshals shot a Memphis teenager in an incident in which cameras were not in use.
Congressman Cohen’s letter reads in part:
“Cameras alone cannot fix all the issues in American policing. However, their use could make a meaningful difference. The recordings protect both police and federal agents, as well as the general public. For our officers and agents, the cameras can prove they acted reasonably and in accordance with their training and agency policies. Should that not be the case, the cameras protect the public by documenting officer or agent misconduct. The cameras would also capture important evidence. For example, in the case in Memphis this week, the teenager who was shot by U.S. Marshalls was subsequently arrested for ramming a vehicle, which was apparently stolen, into others. With body and dashboard cameras, all of this would have been recorded.”
See the entire letter here.
Congressman Cohen is the sponsor of the Police CAMERA Act (H.R. 120), which would provide equipment and training grants to state and local enforcement agencies for body-worn cameras. He is also a cosponsor of Federal Police Camera and Accountability Act of 2019 (H.R. 3364) which would require body and dashboard cameras for federal uniformed agents. Both bills were incorporated in the George Floyd Justice in Policing Act (H.R. 7120) that was approved by the House of Representatives with a bipartisan majority.
